Kitson reveals appendix horror story

Dave Kitson has revealed the agony he suffered last week in the lead-up to his appendix operation.

Reading’s striker even passed out after he swallowed too many strong pain-killers to try to numb the pain.

He then endured a nightmare series of setbacks as he awaited for an operation last Wednesday.

Kitson has had horrendous luck this season. The former Cambridge star suffered a knee injury on the opening day of the season and just as he looked to be over the problem he was sidelined by a hamstring strain.

The 26-year-old was due to resume training last week before being rushed to hospital to remove his appendix.

He told the Evening Post: “I felt pain about an hour after I’d had dinner last Tuesday. I had stomach cramps and thought I’d eaten something a bit ropey.

“I went to lay down but I couldn’t get a wink of sleep and at 4am it was absolutely killing me.

“I hadn’t been sick so I knew it wasn’t food poisoning and that’s when I got worried.

“At 5am I texted Jon Fearn (Royals’ physio), who was in Newcastle, asking if he could get me an appointment with the club doctor.

“In hindsight I should have gone straight to hospital but I got a doctor’s appointment for 10.30am.

“I wasn’t sure if I could hold on that long so I took quite some cocodomal – really strong pain-killers that they gave me when I was having injections in my knee.

“But I took more than the recommended dose and passed out before waking up at 8.30am.

“I decided I could wait to see the doctor but I was hunched over in the waiting room in agony with everyone looking at me.

“I eventually saw the doctor at 11.30am. He told me he thought it was my appendix and I was taken to the Royal Berks where I was hooked up to a drip.

“I was then on morphine to kill the pain, but I was then got a call from Jon Fearn who wanted me to go to a private hospital.

“I had to call my girlfriend to pick me up and drive me to the Dunedin Hospital with a needle still sticking in my arm.

“Eventually I had the operation before 6pm – 2 4 hours after I had felt it. I came close to throwing in the towel.

“I had no sleep at all and I was feeling terrible. The operation only takes about 20 minutes, but if anyone has had appendix problems my heart goes out to them.

“It is the worst pain in the world. It’s worst if it bursts and the surgeon told me mine had a split and was on the verge of bursting.

“But it is now starting to heal. I will see how we proceed but I can’t wait for this year to finish.”

Kitson admits he is now looking forward to the new year having suffered an horrendous run of luck in recent weeks. He is expected back in training next month.

He added: “I have had a bad second half of 2006. I can’t wait for the New Year. I am looking forward to 2007 and getting back and scoring lots of goals for Reading.”

Royals play host to Blackburn on Saturday and should have skipper Graeme Murty back from a toe injury. Seol Ki-Hyeon (toe), though, remains a doubt, while Bobby Convey (knee) is still sidelined.